Thank God: Jesus Comforts a Boy who Lost His Father

At 11 years old, Shawn was full of anger. In 2015, his father with murdered in the streets of Camden, leaving Shawn full of raw emotions he didn’t know what to do with. Although he put on a brave face at his father’s funeral, he couldn’t mask the overwhelming grief for very long. In the months that followed, his pain poured out. “That’s when I kept on crying every day, every day,” says Shawn.

After constant school suspensions, his mother tried to get Shawn help by putting him in different mentor programs. But nothing was helping her son cope with the pain of loss. When she heard about a Bible-based trauma healing camp, she enrolled Shawn. It was something she’d later describe as “a blessing.”

Healing Children’s Wounds of Trauma

Bible-based trauma healing serves to help people of all ages and backgrounds heal from the wounds of traumatic events—including hurting kids and teens. Through a safe and caring environment, young people can share their feelings and talk about their troubles. Trained facilitators teach the children to understand the effects of trauma, work through their pain, and experience God’s unconditional love for them.

Shawn attended a week-long trauma healing camp. There, he met other kids who had also lost loved ones. Together, the children read Bible passages, drew pictures, and discussed topics like forgiveness and suffering.

And, praise God, the peace of Jesus was present. Shawn said, “I learned a lot about God and Jesus. And how like they’ll help you and they’ll be by your side, no matter what.”

Shawn's mother noticed a transformation in her son, “He has a different light about him now … He’s more open to conversations about what he’s feeling.”

Let’s Pray Together:

God, thank you for helping these children cope with the trauma of losing someone they love. Thank you for walking with them in their pain. We pray that as the trauma healing ministry continues to grow, you will heal even more children like Shawn through the power of your Word. We pray in the words of the Psalmist that you will turn their sorrow into joy.

You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;
you have taken away my sorrow
and surrounded me with joy. Psalm 30:11